Manual provision system

ABSTRACT

To enable a user to perform a hypothetical simulation of the use of firefighting equipment so as to be able to experience operation of such firefighting equipment without using actual firefighting equipment, a manual provision system includes an information terminal device, and a server in which manual information pertaining to an article is recorded, the information terminal device and the server connected to each other through a network, the manual information for the article being scanned into the information terminal device from the server through the network so as to allow the manual information to be checked using the information terminal device. The article is a piece of firefighting equipment and the manual information is a hypothetical operation simulation for the firefighting equipment so as to enable learning the manual information by using the information terminal device to operate the hypothetical operation simulation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a manual provision system able toobtain manual information on articles and services through a networkusing an information terminal device such as a mobile phone.

2. Related Art

Conventionally, as a technology for obtaining article manual informationover the Internet, there is a so-called online manual system involving,for example, an instruction manual for an electronic device transmittedover a computer connected to the electronic device and to the Internetfrom a manual data center connected to the Internet, and displaying theinstruction manual on the display part of the electronic device (seeJP-A-2003-228451).

In the well-known technology of JP-A-2003-228451, the electronic deviceis connected to the computer using a USB cable or the like, and themanual information obtained over the Internet using the computer is thendisplayed on the display part of the electronic device.

Furthermore, there is a manual net information system that involves asystem that provides manual information on articles or services and thelike in a networked (i.e., Internet-connected) computer environment, inwhich an information provider is prompted to input standardizedspecifications, search functions, methods of explanation, methods ofoperation and the like together with supplier-related informationrelating to the supplier of articles or services and the like as well asarticle/service search information composed of article/service-relatedinformation and the like concerning the aforementioned articles andservices, and provides to an information recipient the above-describedstandardized manual information from the information provider in a formin which the manual information is searchable based on theaforementioned article/service search information (seeJP-A-2001-306585).

In addition, as a technology that enables a user to access a URL(Uniform Resource Locator) home page address appearing in a merchandisecatalog or the like automatically, without the need to input the addressitself, there is, for example, an article information provision systemthat, via the Internet, connects, for example, a terminal device havinga bar code reader, a server of an article information center thatregisters URL information corresponding to the bar code information anda server of a manufacturer or a merchandiser that provides articleinformation, wherein the terminal device comprises bar code scanningmeans for scanning a bar code that identifies an article, means fortransmitting bar code information scanned by the bar code scanning meansto the article center server, and means for receiving URL informationsent from the article information center and displaying the home page ofthe manufacturer or merchandiser that provides the article, the articleinformation center comprising an information database that registers URLinformation of the manufacturer or merchandiser corresponding to the barcode information, means for searching the information database based onthe bar code information transmitted from the terminal device, and meansfor transmitting the manufacturer or merchandiser URL informationacquired by the searching means to the terminal device, and themanufacturer or merchandiser server comprising means for providinginformation that explains the company and the company's articles on thehome page and means for accepting orders for articles ordered from thehome page (see JP-A-2002-108740).

In the well-known technology of JP-A-2002-108740, bar code informationfrom a product catalog or the like is scanned by a bar code scanningmeans, and based thereon URL information is obtained and the informationdatabase searched.

Furthermore, as a technology for using a bar code to display informationfrom manuals provided with products, there is, for example, a method ofdisplaying information that accompanies a product, involving a method ofdisplaying specifications, instruction manual and other accompanyinginformation for the product, in which the information associated withthe product is formatted as electronic data, stored in retrievablestorage means composed of a memory or a bar code and provided with eachsuch product, the accompanying information to be stored in the storagemeans being input at appropriate times to an operating means capable ofprocessing information, a sensor that senses conditions of use and dataprocessing means accompanying the product, with useful historyinformation from detection data transmitted by the sensor beingprocessed into files by the data processing means so as to be capable ofbeing inputted to the storage means (see JP-A-2000-276534).

However, where the above-described well-known art is used, although itis possible to access a particular address through a network based oncoded information such as a bar code and to scan manual information intoan information terminal device and to check that manual information,compared to learning by experience the user finds it difficult to fullyunderstand such manual information simply by reading it and moreovertime is required to do so.

Particularly in a case in which the article in question is a piece offirefighting equipment, although it is easy to understand fromexperience such things as, for example, when using a fire extinguisher,the proper distance from the source of the fire, how to use the fireextinguisher, the proper procedure for putting out a fire and so forth,it is difficult to understand the same things merely by reading aprinted manual. In addition, if one uses a fire extinguisher in anattempt to gain experience, that fire extinguisher can no longer be usedand must be replenished or replaced with a new fire extinguisher, whichis expensive. Consequently, apart from perhaps one representative personactually experiencing working with a fire extinguisher perhaps once ayear during a fire drill or the like, it remains virtually impossible togain actual experience in the use of firefighting equipment Therefore,when a real fire does occur, it is often the case that effectivefirefighting is not carried out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is conceived in light of theabove-described problems of the conventional art, and has as its objectto provide a system for providing an instruction manual over a networkthat enables a user, particularly when the article in question is apiece of firefighting equipment, to perform a hypothetical simulation ofthe use of such firefighting equipment so as to be able to experienceoperation of such firefighting equipment without using actualfirefighting equipment

To achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides amanual provision system comprising an information terminal device, and aserver in which manual information pertaining to an article is recorded,the information terminal device and the server connected to each otherthrough a network, the manual information for the article being scannedinto the information terminal device from the server through the networkso as to allow the manual information to be checked using theinformation terminal device, wherein the article is a piece offirefighting equipment and the manual information is a hypotheticaloperation simulation for the firefighting equipment so as to enablelearning the manual information by using the information terminal deviceto operate the hypothetical operation simulation.

Preferably, the information terminal device is provided with imagesensing means, and the article is provided with coded informationcontaining an Internet address for manual information, the codedinformation is sensed using the image sensing means, the sensed codedinformation is processed by the information terminal device andconverted into the manual information Internet address and the server isaccessed based on that Internet address.

Preferably, the information terminal device has location informationacquisition means and location information obtained by the locationinformation acquisition means is transmitted to the server so thatmanual information for that location can be specified.

The manual provision system according to the present invention scansmanual information from a server on which article manual information isrecorded into an information terminal device through a network so as toenable the user to check the manual information using the informationterminal device. The article in question is a piece of firefightingequipment, and further, the manual information is a hypotheticaloperation simulation of the firefighting equipment. The manual provisionsystem according to the present invention enables the user to perform ahypothetical simulation of the use of such firefighting equipment andlearn the manual information. As a result, the present invention enablesthe user easily and by experience to learn how to use the firefightingequipment by hypothetically simulating the operation of the firefightingequipment using the information terminal device even without usingactual firefighting equipment.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description when taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designatethe same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a process from operation toacquisition in a manual provision system according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating selection of fire extinguishingequipment as firefighting equipment type in the manual provision system;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a display screen in a case inwhich a mobile phone is used as an example of an information terminaldevice in the manual provision system, showing a display screen forselecting items from a mobile manual site;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display screen for selecting items thatcan be utilized using a simplified manual from the mobile device'smanual site;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a fire detection display screen of themobile device's manual site;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display screen for a control panel forfirefighting equipment from the mobile device manual site;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display screen indicating a case in whicha mistaken firefighting operation has been undertaken in the mobiledevice manual site;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display screen indicating a case in whicha correct firefighting operation has been undertaken in the mobiledevice manual site; and

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a case in which manual informationis obtained from location information in the manual provision system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A detailed description will now be given of preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A flow chart illustrating the operation of the manual provision systemaccording to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1and FIG. 2. In the present manual provision system, manual informationfor a piece of firefighting equipment that is the target article ispre-recorded in a predetermined server and the manual information isthen scanned into an information terminal device from such serverthrough a network such as the Internet so as to allow a user (a learner)to check the manual information. It should be noted that, additionally,the manual information pre-recorded in the server may be updated to newinformation by predetermined means.

A mobile phone, personal computer or the like, for example, may be usedas the information terminal device of the present invention. Inparticular, it is preferable to use an information terminal device suchas a mobile phone, a personal computer or the like that is equipped withimage sensing means such as a camera or a bar code reader.

In such an information terminal device, the Internet address (URL) ofthe manual information in the server on the network is input directlyusing predetermined input means such as a keyboard in step f1 and asearch may be made for the manual site in step f3. Alternatively,however, the address of manual information for each piece of, forexample, firefighting equipment may be encoded as coded information suchas a two-dimensional bar code, such coded information may be affixed toeach piece of firefighting equipment, the coded information may besensed using the image sensing means provided on the informationterminal device, such sensed coded information may be processed by imageprocessing means provided on such information terminal device andconverted into the manual information address, and such address may bescanned as the manual information address (URL) in step f2, and based onsuch address the information terminal device may automatically accessthe address for the manual information on the server so as to search themanual site in step f3.

The manual site so searched is displayed in step f4 in a state thatenables the user to check the contents of the site using display meansprovided on the information terminal device. An example of the manualsite thus displayed is shown as a sample display screen in FIG. 3, in acase in which a mobile phone is used as the information terminal device.

A display screen 1 a of the mobile phone “Simplified Manual” displayssuch items 2 as, for example, “Getting Started”, “Simplified Manual”,“Contact Us by E-mail” and “Contact Us by Phone”. If, for example,“Getting Started” is selected in step f5, a summary of the mobile manualsite is then displayed on the display screen 1 a. If “Simplified Manual”is selected in step f5, then items that enable the user to learn themanual are displayed. If “Contact Us by E-mail” is selected in step f5,then an e-mail input screen that allows the user to send an e-mail to apredetermined address is displayed, and if “Contact Us by Phone” isselected in step f5, then a predetermined telephone number is dialed, ineither case enabling the user to be automatically connected by e-mail orby telephone, respectively, to a management company or the like.

At this point, if, for example, “Simplified Manual” is selected in stepf5, a screen for selecting items 3 that can be utilized with thesimplified manual shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on a display screen 1 bof the mobile phone. If, for example, an operation simulation item isselected in step f6 from among these items 3 that can be utilized withthe simplified manual, then a manual that the user can operate isdisplayed, enabling the user to run a simulation of the operation of thefirefighting equipment hypothetically in accordance with the displayedmanual in step f8 and to learn how to use the firefighting equipment.

When performing a hypothetical simulation of the operation of a piece offirefighting equipment and learning how to use such firefightingequipment, in step f11 shown in FIG. 2 the user selects the type offirefighting equipment involved, such as a fire extinguisher or fireextinguishing equipment. FIG. 5 shows a sample mobile phone displayscreen 1 c in a case in which the user selects fire-extinguishingequipment for gas stations in step f11. Display screen 1 c shows ascreen for reporting a fire in, for example, a sector 4 as firedetection in step f12.

In the fire detection step f12, the screen for reporting the outbreak ofa fire continues to be displayed until the user checks. However, oncethe user checks the fire and performs a predetermined operation, ascreen d1 for a control panel for the fire extinguishing equipment isdisplayed as shown in FIG. 6.

At this point, when the user activates the fire extinguishing equipmentin step f13, the user must then select one of the four sectors 1-4. Ifthe user mistakenly selects, for example, sector 2, then as shown inFIG. 7 a screen 1 e is displayed indicating that a fire extinguishingagent has been laid down in sector 2 but that it is not possible toextinguish the fire in sector 4. If the user correctly selects sector 4,then a screen If showing that a fire-extinguishing agent has been laiddown in sector 4 and that the fire has been extinguished is displayed asshown in FIG. 8.

When the work of extinguishing the fire is completed, the fireextinguishing equipment is terminated in step f14. In step f15 the fireis deemed extinguished. In addition, determinations and warnings arisingwithin the foregoing series of firefighting operations, such as “Try todetect fires faster” or “It's taking a long time to put out the fire” or“**percent (for example, 90 percent) of the fire has been extinguished”and the like, are displayed.

Thus, as described above, the present invention enables the user tosimulate hypothetically the operation of firefighting equipment usingthe information terminal device and thus learn the manual. As a result,the present invention enables the user to learn easily and throughexperience how to use the firefighting equipment, without using actualfirefighting equipment that cannot be re-used once it has been usedcompletely. Moreover, particularly when using a mobile phone as theinformation terminal device, the user encounters no restrictions on thetime or the place for checking the manual information and learning howto use the equipment, thus facilitating learning.

It should be noted that, when using a mobile phone information terminaldevice and checking the manual information to learn how to operateequipment through the manual provision system of the present invention,for example, it is possible to configure the system so that onlyparticular users are permitted to utilize the manual provision system,and therefore the system cannot be used without predetermined software.

Next, a description will be given of a method of obtaining, from userlocation information, manual information for a building or the likecorresponding to that location information from the server and acquiringmanual information. FIG. 9 shows a flow chart illustrating steps in theacquisition of manual information for a building corresponding to thelocation of the user from the user location.

For the method of detecting the location information of the user, alocation information acquisition means capable of receiving, forexample, a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite signal anddetecting the location of the user may be used, and it is preferable touse a mobile phone equipped with such location information acquisitionmeans for the information terminal device.

Using an information terminal device equipped with such locationinformation acquisition means, user location information is detectedusing the location information acquisition means in step f21. After thelocation information is detected, a predetermined server (the manualsite) in which manual information is recorded can be accessed from theinformation terminal device through the Internet, and the detectedlocation information is transmitted to that manual site in step f22.

At the manual site, the manual information recorded in the manual siteis searched based on the transmitted location information, and the nameof the relevant manual information (a building name or a company name)is transmitted to the information terminal device in step f23. Ifmultiple buildings that are recorded exist in the vicinity of thetransmitted location information, there is a possibility that there isan error in the location information detected by the GPS or other suchlocation information acquisition means, and therefore a list of names ofsuch recorded multiple buildings is transmitted to the informationterminal device in step f24 and displayed on the display screen of theinformation terminal device. From that list the user may select therelevant name information in step f25.

In addition, if the building whose name information is selected is amulti-story building, then the relevant floor may be selected in stepf26. A plan view and floor plan of the selected floor is then displayedon the display screen of the information terminal device. If the userselects the relevant room in accordance with the display screen, thetypes of firefighting equipment provided in that room are displayed. Theuser may then select the firefighting equipment whose operation the userwishes to learn.

If the firefighting equipment the user wishes to learn how to operate isselected in step f27, then manual information for the selectedfirefighting equipment is displayed on the display screen of theinformation terminal device. Therefore, the user can specify morespecific manual information that moreover is suited to the actualfirefighting equipment in the particular building selected by the user,enabling the user to learn the manual information more easily.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present inventioncan be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificembodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

1. A manual provision system comprising: an information terminal device; and a server in which manual information pertaining to an article is recorded, the information terminal device and the server connected to each other through a network, the manual information for the article being scanned into the information terminal device from the server through the network so as to allow the manual information to be checked using the information terminal device, wherein the article is a piece of firefighting equipment and the manual information is a hypothetical operation simulation for the firefighting equipment so as to enable learning the manual information by using the information terminal device to operate the hypothetical operation simulation.
 2. A manual provision system according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal device is provided with image sensing means, and the article is provided with coded information containing an Internet address for manual information, the coded information is sensed using the image sensing means, the sensed coded information is processed by the information terminal device and converted into the manual information Internet address and the server is accessed based on that Internet address.
 3. A manual provision system according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal device has location information acquisition means and location information obtained by the location information acquisition means is transmitted to the server so that manual information for that location can be specified. 